CK Visual Arts: Grade 8
Focus:
Grade 8 CKVA consists of 5 units. The first, Twentieth-Century Painting, begins by exploring representational art, such as American Regionalism of the early part of the century. The discussion then turns to the Pop Art movement of the mid twentieth-century, and how artists redefined fine art. The unit ends as students cover how collage artists use paper and mixed media to express complex ideas.
Students then move to Twentieth-Century Photography, where they explore how photography serves as both fine art and as a historical record. After learning about the history of twentieth-century photography as an emerging art form, students will practice using key photographic elements like composition, lighting, and perspective, ending by combining photography with mixed media.
The focus then moves to Twentieth Century Sculpture, where students explore how sculpture developed in the twentieth century, looking at the shift from realistic to abstract forms and the use of both conventional and unconventional materials.
In Contemporary Art, students learn about the major ideas and characteristics of contemporary art, and how artists use a variety of subject matter, themes, styles, materials, and ideas to express emotions, challenge traditions, and reflect modern life. Students learn how contemporary art challenges traditional definitions of fine art and encourage creative thinking.
The final unit, Postmodern Architecture, looks at bold lines, scale, playful forms, and historical references of postmodern architecture. Through a mix of visual analysis, class discussions, and design activities, students will learn how architects connect a building’s appearance (form) to its purpose (function) in creative and sometimes surprising ways.
Number of Lessons: 26
Instruction Time: 45 minutes each. Each lesson may be divided into smaller segments.
Additional Search Terms:
environmental awareness, • aperture • shutter speed • installation art • graffiti
PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE: Receive free shipping on the Classroom set when you purchase before 5/8/26.
